Religion takes centre stage in Maldives election

Religion is once again front and centre ahead of the September 23 presidential election with hardliners supporting the incumbent and the country’s sole religious political party backing the opposition.

“My support is for the joint opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and running mate Faisal Naseem. Both of them love Islam, prioritise the public interest and have not displayed traits of self-pride and arrogance. God willing, we will win,” he tweeted.

At a ceremony for the handover of the ruling party ticket Sunday night, Shaheem suggested that Yameen had rescued Islam from the brink of disappearance from the Maldives, whilst the presidentsaid he invited the Islamic university’s chancellor to help revise the education curriculum and “remedy” the apostasy and irreligious behaviour of some Maldivian youth.

This was necessary to keep the Maldives “a homogenous society,” he said.

Yameen’s remarks have been applauded by influential religious NGO Salaf, which praised the inclusion of penalties prescribed by Islamic Sharia in the Maldives penal code.